Tennessee 52, Kentucky 50 (4OT)
LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) -- Sorry Georgia, resilient Tennessee is back on top in the SEC East.
The Volunteers stuffed a scrambling Andre Woodson on a 2-point conversion attempt in the fourth overtime to secure a 52-50 victory Saturday against Kentucky and a spot in the Southeastern Conference title game.
No. 19 Tennessee's 23rd straight win over the Wildcats handed the Volunteers (9-3, 6-2) the division title and a shot at LSU in next week's SEC title game.
Tennessee and Georgia finished tied atop the East, but the Volunteers earned the title thanks to their 35-14 win over the Bulldogs on Oct. 6.
Erik Ainge threw for a career-high 397 yards and seven touchdowns and running back Arian Foster had 216 total yards for the Volunteers.
Woodson matched Ainge throw for throw, throwing for 430 yards and six touchdowns, but the Wildcats (7-5, 3-5) let a chance to beat the Vols for the first time since 1984 get away.
Tennessee's winning streak over the Wildcats is the longest active winning streak by one team over another in the Football Bowl Subdivision.
Kentucky trailed by 17 points in the second half but had its chances late, none better than in the second overtime after Sam Maxwell intercepted Ainge near the goal line.
The Wildcats ran the ball on three straight plays to set Lones Seiber up for a 35-yard field goal. But the kick was blocked by Dan Williams.
The teams traded touchdowns in the third overtime, but the Wildcats stuffed Foster's 2-point conversion. A personal foul on the Volunteers following the conversion attempt pushed Tennessee back to the Kentucky 40 instead of the Kentucky 25 at the beginning of the fourth overtime.
No matter, Ainge hit a wide-open Quinton Hancock on the first play to put the Volunteers in front. Ainge then found Austin Rogers for the conversion over the middle.
Kentucky responded with a 2-yard touchdown run by Derrick Locke, but Woodson was stopped at the Tennessee 3 caught in between trying to find a receiver and taking off the for the end zone.
The victory capped an improbable run by the Volunteers, who seemed out of the race after being crushed at Alabama last month. Tennessee has now won five straight while Kentucky, which was on the fringe of the national championship hunt after upsetting No. 1 LSU in mid-October, has lost four of its last five.
It wasn't easy. Kentucky trailed 31-14 in the third quarter, but rallied to tie the game on a 20-yard field goal by Seiber on the last play of regulation.
That was just the start of the fun.
Yet whenever the Wildcats seemed to grab control, Ainge or Foster would step up and make a play. Foster ran for 118 yards and caught nine passes for 98 yards and a score.
Rafael Little had 77 yards rushing and caught 11 passes for 108 yards for the Wildcats. Jacob Tamme, Steve Johnson and Keenan Burton - who helped usher the Wildcats into the Top 10 earlier in the season - combined for 23 catches, 273 yards and five scores.
The trio is part of a class of 16 Kentucky seniors who had hoped to make their final home game the exclamation point on a two-year period in which the program challenged some of the conference's elite.
Instead, the regular season ended the way most of the 22 before it, with a loss to their border rivals.
Wake Forest 31, Vanderbilt 17
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) -- Wake Forest didn't just spoil Vanderbilt's hopes of a bowl game. It crushed them.
Alphonso Smith had two interceptions to lead a Wake Forest defense that forced five turnovers and beat Vanderbilt 31-17 on Saturday, shattering any chance the Commodores had to make their first bowl game in 25 years.
Smith's two interceptions gave him eight for the year, making him Wake Forest's single-season interception leader. The previous record of seven was set by A.J. Green in 1987.
Josh Adams added 111 yards rushing and two touchdowns for the Demon Deacons (8-4) to seal an eight-win season for only the fifth time in school history. Wake Forest also ended its four-game losing streak against the Commodores.
For Vanderbilt (5-7), another season that began with high expectations ended with the same result: bitter disappointment. The Commodores needed only one victory in its final four games to be bowl eligible for the first time since going to the 1982 Hall of Fame Bowl.
The Commodores gave up a season-high five turnovers against Wake Forest, and fans in the 39,773-seat Vanderbilt stadium - not even filled to half its capacity - continually showered the home team with boos.
MacKenzi Adams managed just 64 yards passing with two fumbles and two interceptions. He was replaced by third-string quarterback Richard Kovalcheck, who threw for 269 yards and two touchdowns against Wake Forest's backups.
The Demon Deacons, who played in last season's Orange Bowl after winning the ACC, already had earned back-to-back bowl berths for the first time in school history.
They just improved their resume.
Kevin Marion returned the opening kick of the second half 81 yards for Wake Forest, setting up an 8-yard touchdown catch by De'Angelo Bryant that blew the game open 21-3.
It would get worse.
MacKenzi Adams fumbled for the second time in the game to give Wake Forest a short field yet again. Josh Adams ran for a 12-yard touchdown to put the Demon Deacons ahead 28-3 just two minutes into the half.
Any chance of a Vanderbilt comeback - or at least something to cheer for on Senior Day - were silenced after the Commodores failed to score on four consecutive plays at the goal line. Most of the meager crowd filed out, and Vanderbilt's chance at bowl eligibility looked as dark as cloudy Nashville.
A late 28-yard touchdown catch by Earl Bennett made it 31-10, but most fans already had left. Bennett's six catches gave him 75 for the season, and the SEC career receptions leader became the first receiver in league history with three consecutive seasons with at least 75 catches.
Georgia 31, Georgia Tech 17
ATLANTA (AP) -- Georgia won't get a chance to play for the Southeastern Conference championship. At least the Bulldogs still have their state title.
Matthew Stafford ran for one touchdown and threw for another, Thomas Brown rushed for 130 yards, and No. 6 Georgia seemed to catch every break in stretching its winning streak to seven in a row over Georgia Tech with a 31-17 victory Saturday.
Late in the third quarter, the Bulldogs (10-2) learned their hopes of winning the SEC East ended when Tennessee defeated Kentucky 52-50 in a four-overtime thriller. Both Georgia and the Vols have 6-2 records in the conference, but Tennessee won the tiebreaker with its 35-14 victory over the Bulldogs in early October.
Georgia Tech (7-5) hasn't beaten Georgia since 2000, and there's plenty of speculation that this latest loss could cost coach Chan Gailey his job. He dropped to 0-6 against the Yellow Jackets' biggest rival, and athletic director Dan Radakovich has said he'll evaluate the program after the season.
Stafford caught Georgia Tech off guard by running for a 31-yard touchdown in the second quarter, one of four lead changes in the first half. The last of those came with 1:02 left in the second quarter, when Stafford hooked up with Mohamed Massaquoi on a 9-yard touchdown that sent the Bulldogs to the locker room up 16-14.
There would be no more lead changes. Brannan Southerland powered over from the 3 after Stafford threw 55 yards to Sean Bailey. Brown finished off the Yellow Jackets with a 32-yard run down the right sideline with just over 11 minutes left.
A 2-point conversion provided the final margin, the first time in four years the game wasn't decided in the closing minutes.
Georgia closed the regular season as hot as anyone in the country, winning six straight. Even though the Bulldogs won't even get to play for their conference title, they are definitely in line for a BCS bowl invitation.
The winning streak over the Yellow Jackets is Georgia's longest in the bitter rivalry and just one shy of Georgia Tech's eight-win run from 1949-56, the longest by either team.
Tashard Choice led the Yellow Jackets with 134 yards, including a 12-yard touchdown. Taylor Bennett threw a 17-yard TD pass to Colin Peek in an otherwise forgettable performance.
Bennett was 8-of-22 for 123 yards, and the Yellow Jackets also tried freshman Josh Nesbitt and Calvin Booker at quarterback without much success.
Florida 45, Florida State 12
GAINESVILLE, Fla. (AP) -- Florida's cheerleaders did something Tim Tebow never would: strike the famed Heisman Trophy pose.
Tebow, though, did just about everything else to state his case for college football's premier award in the season finale against rival Florida State.
Tebow threw three touchdown passes, ran for two scores and carried the 12th-ranked Gators to a 45-12 victory over the Seminoles on Saturday night.
Tebow led the Gators (9-3) to touchdowns on four of their first five possessions, staking them to big lead that eased the pressure on Florida's young defense that has struggled much of the year.
Percy Harvin did his part, too. After missing the last two games because of migraine headaches, Harvin returned and ran 16 times for 157 yards. He scored on a 24-yard run with 3 minutes to play.
Tebow and Harvin burned the Seminoles (7-5) all over the field, helping extend Florida's dominance in the series.
The Gators have won four in a row, the longest streak since winning their sixth straight in 1986.
With Tebow and Harvin on board for at least another year, Florida State's outlook for ending the streak doesn't look so promising.
Tebow finished 19-of-28 for 262 yards. The sophomore also carried 13 times for 89 yards.
Tebow ran around and over defenders all game, and stirred the crowd into a frenzy after every big play.
He had most of the 90,664 at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium chanting ``Tebow, Heisman'' with 5:37 to play.
Maybe Geno Hayes should have joined in. Florida State's junior linebacker said early in the week that Tebow was ``going down'' Saturday.
Hayes was right, sort of.
Tebow went down the field and down in history.
His second rushing touchdown gave him 22 for the season, tying the NCAA record for a quarterback. Chance Harridge of Air Force also had 22 in 2002.
Clemson 23, South Carolina 21
COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) -- Mark Buchholz hit a 35-yard field as time expired to give No. 21 Clemson a 23-21 victory over South Carolina and leave Gamecocks coach Steve Spurrier with the longest losing streak of his college career.
Buchholz, who starred on the Tiger soccer team this fall, had missed two earlier field-goal attempts. But he nailed the one that counted most and his teammates leaped in celebration at Williams-Brice Stadium.
Clemson (9-3) is 9-1 on South Carolina's home field since 1989.
For Spurrier and South Carolina (6-6), the defeat was their fifth straight, and it leaves the Gamecocks with precarious postseason hopes.
A month ago, South Carolina seemed a sure bet at the postseason at 6-1 and No. 6 in the country.
The Gamecocks looked ready to end the skid in this one, overcoming Clemson's 17-7 lead to go ahead 21-20 with 9 minutes left on the last of Blake Mitchell's three TD throws.
However, Clemson quarterback Cullen Harper guided the Tigers into position. He found Aaron Kelly with a 12-yard pass on fourth-and-4. The two connected again moments later on an 18-yard pass to South Carolina's 16.
That's when Buchholz calmly hit the game-winner. A week ago, Buchholz was short on a 54-yarder at the end that would've tied things in the Tigers' 20-17 loss to Boston College that cost them a chance at the Atlantic Coast Conference title.
Harper finished 28 of 38 for 229 yards and his 27th touchdown pass.
James Davis rushed for 122 yards on 23 carries, while C.J. Spiller had 88 yards.
Auburn 17, Alabama 10
AUBURN, Ala. (AP) -- Nick Saban couldn't figure out how to beat Auburn, either.
Brandon Cox scored on a 1-yard sneak with 3:58 left and the 25th-ranked Tigers played stingy defense in a 17-10 win over Alabama that extended Auburn's winning streak in the bitter rivalry to a school-record six games.
Alabama (6-6, 4-4) hired Saban to coach the Crimson Tide after last season, giving him $4 million a year, in part to come up with a way to beat the Tigers. Not only was he unable to do that, but the Tide is no lock to even reach the postseason.
Alabama lost its final four games and is one of 10 SEC teams vying for a bowl spot. The Tide was stung badly a week earlier by a stunning loss to Louisiana-Monroe.
After Alabama's Leigh Tiffin kicked a 49-yard field goal with 2:11 to make it 17-10, Auburn (8-4, 5-3 Southeastern Conference) recovered an onside kick and ran out the clock with Brad Lester gained 12 yards on fourth-and-1 from the Crimson Tide 30.
The victory touched off a jubilant celebration, with defensive end Quentin Groves leading the band in the school fight song and coach Tommy Tuberville running off the field with six fingers extended into the air. The Tigers already had their first five-year Iron Bowl winning streak since 1958 and kept it going with defense and a pounding running game.
The teams combined for just 507 yards, with both relying on defense and conservative offensive plans.
Tuberville has owned the Iron Bowl, but there's been speculation this could be his last own. He declined to discuss reports that he was a contender for the vacant Texas A&M job. Athletic director Jay Jacobs said Saturday he believes the coach remains ``our guy'' and that they would meet over the next few days.
The Tigers got help from special teams and an Alabama blunder to finally extend the three-point lead they nursed most of the game. Robert Dunn gave the sputtering offense some help with a 31-yard punt return into Tide territory.
After a couple of first downs, Cox had to throw the ball away on second-and-12. Alabama defensive lineman Keith Saunders' hit out of bounds gave the Tigers first-and-goal from the 8. Lester ran for 6 yards and was initially credited with a score on the next play before a review put the ball just shy of the goal line.
It didn't matter. Cox rode the line's surge into the end zone to make it 17-7.
John Parker Wilson then led Alabama down the field. The Tide converted a fourth-and-1 on Glen Coffee's 3-yard run to the Auburn 32, but the best the Tide could do was Tiffin's long field.
The onside kick bounced into Auburn tight end Cole Bennett's hands Lester and the Tigers worked the clock down. Lester finished with 98 yards on 22 carries. Ben Tate ran 11 times for 77 yards.
Cox was 12-of-22 for 117 yards with an interception.
Alabama, which welcomed back three starters after a four-game suspension for improper receipt of textbooks, managed just 225 yards.
Wilson was 12-of-26 with an interception and didn't complete a pass to the SEC's leading receiver, DJ Hall, until the final drive.
Coffee, one of the players returning from suspension, gained 60 yards on 20 carries. Top rusher Terry Grant had been nursing a hip problem and didn't play in the game.
Both teams had fourth down gambles lead to touchdowns in the first half. Tate scored on a 3-yard run on the Tigers' first possession after Auburn converted a fourth-and-inches on Cox's quarterback sneak from the Alabama 30.
The Tigers took a 10-0 lead late in the quarter on Wes Byrum's 37-yard field goal.
Then, Wilson scored on a sneak on fourth-and-1 from the 2-yard line.
The defenses took over from there and the next score didn't come until almost 38 minutes later.